Sneaker of the Week: Nike Classic Cortez Nylon Premium

The Nike Cortez was Nike’s first track shoe and originally released in 1972. Unlike the Waffle Racer, the soles on this sneaker utilized a herringbone pattern for traction and mobility. Since then, it’s become a classic in its own right, despite being overshadowed by kicks with decidedly more street cred like the Air Max series or Nike’s plethora of basketball sneakers. It especially has a following on the West Coast, where it gained a bit of notoriety due to the silhouette’s popularity amongst Chicano gangsters and is to the stereotypical cholo what Burberry plaid and Air Mas are to the stereotypical British chav.

More recently, the Cortez got a notable shout-out from firebrand emcee Kendrick Lamar, who mentioned the shoe on his controversial, acerbic verse on "Control" earlier this year. The rapper claimed he’d be eschewing designer clothes and swapping them out for white T-shirts and Nike Cortez sneakers, so he might’ve bought every single pair of these quilted nylon versions of the classic kicks. Available in versatile black and navy blue, we’re impartial to the dark green pair—it’s the color of the season, after all.

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